2013 Kansas City Chiefs

[HammerDown]

A thread for general news and discussion.

 

[Black Adam]

A thread for general news and discussion.

nice move here imo. one thing i'm liking about this season's version of the Chiefs. they're actually looking at as many ways as they possibly can to get better...

 

[Vedder79]

Good move by the Chiefs! I'm really liking the moves made in the front office.

Go Chiefs!

 

[MHSL82]

Inside Reid's game plan | National Football Post

Haven't read every word, but the heavy first and second down passing makes me feel that Smith will get his extra passes here. People acted like Smith could play well in passes 1-29 but suddenly started to throw INTs in passes 30-45. The reality was, that he would only throw over 30 passes in games where he needed to catch up. Those games often started poorly and garbage time wasn't enough to make up for it. When he started off well, teams tend to start milking the clock and running a lot, not many passes.

But with a heavy load of passes on first and second, downs in which Dilfer said Smith and other QBs love, he may be able to maintain some success. The key would be that they'd have to be successful with Charles when he did run, so that teams would have to choose. Add in some Pistol and teams would be less prepared. Dilfer called first down passes the gimmie passes (relatively, obviously).

Inside Reid's game plan | National Football Post

Looking at Alex Smith in the Pistol (including a gif & pics) - Arrowhead Pride

Chris Ault Hired as a Consultant by the Kansas City Chiefs Means You Can Expect Alex Smith and Jamaal Charles in the Pistol Formation | Big Lead Sports

Chiefs QB Alex Smith to run 'pistol offense'? - NFL Videos

Tom Rock's post on New York Giants | Latest updates on Sulia

This is all I could find in a Google search of Kansas City Pistol. I haven't read all of them, yet, at least.

 

[MHSL82]

A Niners fan from SportsHoopla gave me this one...

Alex Smith Already Becoming Leader

 

[MHSL82]

Play-Action from the Pistol

 

[UnrealTerm04]

2013 will be an improved year for the Chiefs. Andy Reid will give you some stability and Smith is a upgrade over Cassell.

 

[Black Adam]

2013 will be an improved year for the Chiefs. Andy Reid will give you some stability and Smith is a upgrade over Cassell.

agreed. in all honesty i'm loving what i'm so far hearing out of the Chiefs OTA's. it all sounds positive at this point...

 

[MHSL82]

Thought this was as good of a place to post this article. Saw it when it was on ESPN's front page.

Andy Reid is back in his element in Kansas City

 

[MHSL82]

Look for big turnaround by Chiefs


Worst to first? Pieces in place for it to happen in Reid's first year in Kansas City


Originally Published: August 15, 2013
By Ashley Fox | ESPN.com

Chuck Cook/USA TODAY SportsAlex Smith appears to be a perfect fit to run Andy Reid's West Coast offense.

Worst to first. Fourteen times in the last decade, a team has made the arduous climb out of the cellar to capture a division title. Washington did it last season. Denver did it in 2011. Kansas City did it in 2010.

The Chiefs could do it again in 2013. They are one Peyton Manning injury away. Even without that, Kansas City could be playoff bound, which would be a meaningful consolation prize for a team that went 2-14 last season and had its share of adversity.

In January, Andy Reid agreed to become Kansas City's head coach for a multitude of reasons. After Philadelphia fired him, Reid needed a job, yes, but he had options. He liked the Hunt family. He liked the passionate Chiefs fan base and the location in the Midwest. Reid liked that he could help select the team's next general manager. He liked that he wouldn't have to be in charge of personnel and instead could get back to his roots: coaching football and calling plays for the offense.

And Reid liked that there was talent on both sides of the ball. He saw potential. He saw opportunity. He saw a chance for a quick turnaround.


Acquiring Alex Smith in a trade with San Francisco in March solidified the Chiefs as contenders in 2013. Smith is the perfect fit for Reid's version of the West Coast offense. He is a veteran who has endured his share of adversity. He has run the West Coast offense before. He can complete short, crisp passes. During his career in San Francisco, Smith endured a revolving door of offensive coordinators and systems, so he has had to adjust and study and learn.

Does Smith throw the prettiest long ball? No. Does he have a cannon for an arm? No. But in Reid's offense, those things aren't prerequisites.

"Once we got Alex Smith, we felt like, 'OK, now we've got something. We can start this thing,'" Chiefs assistant head coach David Culley said. "We've got to have that guy, whoever that guy is. Well, it was Alex who was the guy. ... I don't know if there was another guy out there available that would've been better than Alex Smith, and now he understands why we got him."

Smith gives the Chiefs a chance.

Reid also is enamored with Jamaal Charles. Culley called Charles "a football player playing running back." Three times during his career, Charles has rushed for more than 1,000 yards, including last season, when he finished fourth in the NFL with 1,509 rushing yards. It is unlikely, given Reid's history of relying on the pass, that Charles will reach that number this season, but the more telling statistic will be his yards from scrimmage.

In his first five seasons in Kansas City, Charles was not asked frequently to catch the ball out of the backfield. Reid will demand it, because a screen pass in Reid's offense is the equivalent of a run play.

Of Charles, Culley said: "He's seen how those backs back there have been successful, LeSean [McCoy] and Brian [Westbrook] and Duce [Staley]. This guy is in that same class. He's a little different, but he's in the same class.

In Brian Westbrook's 2004 breakout season in Philadelphia, he caught 73 passes in 13 games for the Eagles. In 2005, he caught 61 in 12 games. In 2006, Westbrook caught 77 passes, and in 2007 he caught 90.

The Eagles selected LeSean McCoy in the second round of the 2009 draft to fill the Westbrook role, and from 2010 through 2012 McCoy averaged 60 receptions per season.

"The one thing I think Andy's always been good at is when you've got good players, put those players in position to be successful," Culley said. "Jamaal Charles is an excellent player, and he'll be as successful here as he was in the offense before, and more successful in the way we'll use him in more ways."

Reid and the Chiefs have made other savvy decisions. They re-signed wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and franchised left tackle Branden Albert. They used the No. 1 overall pick to select Eric Fisher, who will play right tackle. Reid stuck with the 3-4 defensive alignment that fit the players the Chiefs had drafted in the past, such as Dontari Poe and Tamba Hali. They solidified what should be a formidable secondary by signing Miami cornerback Sean Smith.

Sure, there are holes. A team doesn't go 2-14 by accident. Kansas City desperately needs a No. 2 wide receiver and must get production from its tight ends. No other team committed more turnovers or scored fewer points than the Chiefs did in 2012. They didn't score a defensive touchdown last season and haven't had a punt return for a touchdown since 2010 or a kickoff return for a touchdown since 2009.

The schedule is favorable, and it is to Reid's advantage that the AFC West is playing the NFC East. No one is more familiar with how to play Dallas, Washington, the New York Giants and Philadelphia than Reid.

Seven of the Chiefs' first nine opponents didn't have a winning record in 2012. Only one, Houston, made the playoffs. All but one of Kansas City's divisional games come after a Week 10 bye. In Philadelphia, Reid was 13-1 the week after the bye. The Chiefs play at Denver in Week 11 and host the Broncos in Week 13.

Until the train wreck of the last two seasons, Reid's Philadelphia teams typically were stronger and better in November and December. He would push hard early, then pull back late. And his players responded.

Worst to first. It is a lot to ask of a team that won just two games a year ago and plays in the same division as Denver, but the Chiefs could be that team this year. Even if they aren't, they have a very real opportunity to snag a wild-card berth.

In Year 1 of Andy Reid, that would be a smashing success.

 

[MHSL82]

Camp Confidential: Kansas City Chiefs

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs and Andy Reid needed each other.

A year ago, as the Chiefs were toiling through their summer preparations, this pairing seemed more than unlikely. It appeared implausible.

The Chiefs were embarking on the Romeo Crennel era. The franchise was focused on salvaging the Scott Pioli leadership by having one of his former New England colleagues take over the coach's headset on a full-time basis after he had guided the team following Todd Haley's dismissal in December 2011. There were no thoughts of Crennel being a temporary caretaker for one of the biggest coaching names in the game. Reid was entering his 14th season in Philadelphia.

But 2012 ended up being an awful year for the Chiefs and for Reid. Change was necessary for both.

When Reid was let go by the Eagles, Kansas City owner Clark Hunt acted swiftly, turning from Pioli and Crennel to Reid. It was a bold move from the Heartland, where the Chiefs usually stay out of the national spotlight.

Hiring Reid was bold. And while technically neither Reid nor his new team has accomplished anything just yet, the fit seems right. Reid is resplendent in red. The Chiefs’ players are energized by the top-notch coaching and energy Reid has brought.

“I don’t look to the past and we can’t look to the future yet; all we got is right now,” Reid said. “And the 'right now' is pretty good. … I really like where we are and what these guys are doing.”

While it is just August, the Chiefs look nothing like the 2-14 team they were in 2012. Most teams that earn the No. 1 overall draft pick look like it the following training camp. Instead, the Chiefs look like a complete team with few holes, one that is ready to make a big move.

“We don’t even talk about 2-14 anymore,” said safety Eric Berry, one of six Pro Bowl players from what was, despite the record, a talented 2012 outfit. “We are all focused on getting better and getting coached by Coach Reid and his staff. … We can’t wait to get out here every day to see how we can get better. Everybody feels that way. We’re all so happy right now.”

THREE HOT TOPICS

1. The quarterback: Thus far, the transition to Alex Smith has been a success in Kansas City. Of course, we won’t find out anything tangible until we see if he can make a difference in the regular season. But so far, Smith has taken to Reid’s coaching and shown he is the leader of this team. He has been good in training camp, and he was excellent in the first preseason game. If Smith can be the smart, mistake-free player he was in his best San Francisco days, the Chiefs can be a real contender. This team has been screaming for solid quarterback play, and it may be about to get it.

“He’s a smart guy,” Reid said of his quarterback. “He gets it. He makes it easy. He doesn’t run out of gigabytes.”

2. Finding a No. 2 receiver: There aren’t a lot of issues with this roster, but finding a solid No. 2 receiver behind star Dwayne Bowe is a focal point of this camp. Free-agent pickup Donnie Avery will likely be the guy, and he has shown he can be a capable NFL player. He can get open. The team would like to see 2011 first-round pick Jon Baldwin finally develop. He has big ability but has failed to show the consistency to be a top-of-the rotation player. The Chiefs have a varied offense, so this will not be a huge problem, but it would be beneficial if Bowe had some legitimate help opposite of him.

3. Dontari Poe: If training camp is any indication, Poe has a chance to be among the breakout players in the NFL this season. The No. 11 overall pick of the 2012 draft has been terrific. He has taken to the new coaching. The light has come on. The super-athletic Poe is getting the playbook and has been dominant at times. Nose tackle sets the tone for the defense, and it seems Poe is up to the task. To his credit, Poe made strides late in his rookie season and seems to have carried it over to his second training camp.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

The Chiefs' roster is loaded. There are not a lot of holes. Sure, the Chiefs could use a deeper group of receivers, a deeper defensive line and a few odds and ends here and there. But in today’s NFL, that is not a deep list of concerns. Add a top coach like Reid, a capable quarterback like Smith and several fine free-agent additions to a roster that featured six Pro Bowl players, and there is a lot to like about this team. This is not your average club trying to rebound from 2-14.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

There isn’t much not to like here. The worst thing Kansas City has going for it is simply rebuilding from a 2-14 season. Just how many wins can a 2-14 team expect in the first year of a new regime? The Chiefs will be much better. But what does that mean? A 7-9 season in Kansas City would signify great progress. But if the Chiefs want to make a run at the playoffs, they likely will have to go 9-7 or better. A seven-win improvement is never an easy task in the NFL.

OBSERVATION DECK

• The Chiefs like their offensive line. They think they have a lot of depth. Jeff Allen, Geoff Schwartz and Donald Stephenson give the team a lot of options.
• The Chiefs have no remorse over using the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft on right tackle Eric Fisher. He is a natural talent who works hard and fits in with his teammates. He is a hard-hat player who just happened to be the top pick in the draft.
• The coaching staff is pleased with the way star running back Jamaal Charles has adapted to the offense. He has embraced the chance to catch more balls out of the backfield. For anyone who thought Charles’ role would be diminished because of Reid’s arrival, just look at the New Orleans game last week. Charles touched the ball on eight of the 14 plays the Chiefs’ first-team offense was on the field
• Players love the scheme of new defensive coordinator Bob Sutton. It is aggressive and player-friendly.
• One of the strengths of this team going into camp was the defensive backfield. It continues to be. This is a deep, talented unit.
• One young player to keep an eye is undrafted rookie receiver Rico Richardson. He is catching everything that comes his way. He's a long shot, but there could be room for him.
• Reid is pleased with the addition of spread game analyst Brad Childress and consultant Chris Ault. They are focusing on the pistol offense and working with both the offense and defense in installing it.
• The Chiefs’ special teams look good. The return game was fantastic against New Orleans.
• Berry came on strong at the end of last season after missing virtually all of the 2011 season with a torn ACL, and he looks to be in top form this camp. Expect a brilliant season from this young star.
• The team likes the work of fullback Anthony Sherman, who was acquired in a deal with Arizona for cornerback Javier Arenas. Sherman will be a part of the offense.
• Fourth-round pick Nico Johnson continues to push Akeem Jordan at inside linebacker. The instinctive, bright Johnson has been a camp standout.

 

[MHSL82]

49ers finally can hit Alex Smith

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Over all those years and thousands of practice snaps, the stingy San Francisco defense never got to put a hit on Alex Smith.
And this is a group known for its vicious blows, from sack man Aldon Smith at linebacker to pounding safety Donte Whitner.
So, no surprise Smith's former teammates on the opposite side of the ball will be salivating to finally chase down the quarterback when they face him and the Chiefs in a preseason game at Kansas City on Friday night.

​

"There's a first time for everything," linebacker NaVorro Bowman said, smiling. "We never got a chance to hit him. This time we can. We're looking forward to it. I know Alex knows we're coming. It's football, man. He's on another team and we have to go out there and play our game."

Cornerback Carlos Rogers plans to talk trash -- because, he insists, Smith will certainly be expecting it from this group.

"He'll probably come after me because we were always talking junk during practices while he was here. I'm going to take a look at the film and see what we can come up with," Rogers said. "It will be really fun. I'm pretty sure he's going to be talking junk. He's going to want to go at our defense because now he gets the opportunity. When he was here we didn't really go against the 1 offense unless it was training camp."

Smith has begun anew in the AFC with the Chiefs after being traded in March. He lost his starting job with San Francisco in November to Colin Kaepernick.

Smith certainly sounds as if he will leave the personal ties out of it Friday -- rather focusing on preparing his offense with a matchup against one of the NFL's top defenses in recent years.

"Regardless of the fact that I used to play there, they're a good defensive unit," he said "They're a really good defensive unit, and they'll be a good test for us. I mean, they don't have many weaknesses on that side of the ball. It'll be a really good test for us."

49ers defensive line coach Jim Tomsula insists the razzing by his defenders is all in good fun. Tomsula started Smith for the regular season finale in 2010 in Tomsula's lone game as interim head coach following the firing of Mike Singletary.




"They're throwing that out there. That's an inside joke to Alex," Tomsula said. "They all just like him so much, they really do. It's a good banter, is what it is."

Given Smith's long history with the 49ers, an up-and-down, eight-year tenure -- filled with numerous promotions and demotions, not to mention injuries -- after they selected him with the No. 1 draft pick out of Utah in 2005, he still has many supporters in his old locker room.

Running back Frank Gore is rooting for him, tight end Vernon Davis, too. And Kaepernick, of course.

They have spoken a couple of times during the offseason, though Kaepernick declined to elaborate.

"He did a lot for me, Alex was someone that really helped me pick up the playbook, understand what we were trying to get done and how we wanted to do it," Kaepernick said Wednesday. "I wouldn't be as far along as I am right now without him. Personally, he's a great guy, he's a class act. I have nothing bad to say about him. He's always helped me, he's always put the team first."

It was Smith who took it upon himself to lead San Francisco's players in workouts at nearby San Jose State during the 2011 NFL lockout that became known as "Camp Alex," a step in his leadership that put the team in position to end a franchise-worst stretch of eight seasons without a playoff berth or winning record. After all those boos from his own fans during the struggles, he had made good at last.

For his example, and so many other things, coach Jim Harbaugh is grateful to this day. Even if he made the tough choice to go with Kaepernick for last season's stretch run. Smith largely thrived under the direction of Harbaugh, a 15-year NFL quarterback himself.

"It's personal with Alex. It probably is different in that way," Harbaugh said. "Feel like there's a great friendship there and a lot of history. He's a unique person. A very good, in all ways, a good friend. No longer on our team. Not a trusted agent anymore."

Come Friday, both sides will try to keep all the mixed emotions off the field. Though the history will clearly provide some preseason fuel.

"Now we'll get a chance to hit him," Rogers said. "He had on the jersey and we couldn't touch the quarterback, so I'm pretty sure our D-line will be happy about that, too."

 

[MHSL82]

Here's to hoping Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles gets a shot

By Matt Verderame  @MattVerderame on Aug 15 2013, 3:51p http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/...jamaal-charles-credit-super-bowl-win#comments 7

<img alt="" size_name="large_730" src="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17929809/gyi0062982981.0_standard_352.0.jpg" />


Nobody deserves a shot at winning a Super Bowl ring more than KC Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.

"Some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. Still, the place you live in is that much more drab & empty that their gone."

This is exactly how I'll feel if the Kansas City Chiefs have Jamaal Charles for his entire career and never win a Super Bowl.

Only 26, Charles has already enjoyed three seasons of over 1,100 rushing yards and owns a legendary yards per attempt average of 5.8, the highest in NFL history. Incredibly, he's done all of this despite never having a quality passing attack surrounding him.

Watching Jamaal is watching greatness



Charles isn't only another really good player. With a few more seasons the same caliber that we've seen, and he's entering the realm of all-time great.

Charles is one of the rare players whose play speaks louder than he does, a brilliant artist in cleats painting a masterpiece with each touch of the football. The Chiefs have had many great players over the years, but none with the dynamic ability of Charles.

When I watch Charles, I know I'm watching one of the best Chiefs ever. Often times we argue about players on the team and how good they really are, but nobody argues the merits of No. 25. Everybody who watches him knows the talent being displayed with every cut he makes.

I'm not one for getting upset when the national media doesn't pay much attention to smaller market teams, even ones I care about. But Charles not getting his due would be devastating. For years, this franchise's incompetence has robbed great players of the spotlight. It can't happen this time.

Thinking about the Chiefs, I often remember all those greats who never got a chance to play in the Super Bowl, the ultimate attention-grabber. Anybody from Derrick Thomas to Tony Gonzalez to Deron Cherry deserves to be in the conversation, falling shy of elusive glory.

Then I began pondering how disappointing it would be if Eric Berry, Tamba Hali or Derrick Johnson didn't play in the Super Bowl at some point. When I think of that scenario involving Charles, I literally felt sick.

He's a quiet man by nature, and a good one by all accounts. When he does speak, his competitive fire is evident to anyone who listens. In an interview with Grantland earlier this offseason, Charles was asked whether he enjoyed playing more in front of Texas Longhorns fans or at Arrowhead Stadium. He picked Arrowhead, an amazing answer for a young man who grew up in the shadow of Austin.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

He went on to say how badly he wants to win for those who cheer him on, clad in red during the autumn and cold winter months.

Sure, it would be a dream come true to watch the Chiefs win a Super Bowl, not only for myself but everyone reading this column and millions of others. However, the reason I want Charles so badly to raise a Lombardi Trophy is because he deserves national attention and to be viewed as a winner.

It's beautiful to watch Charles play this game. It would be even better if the world got to see it too.

 

[MHSL82]

Dwayne Bowe can drive 55 - AFC West Blog

The new $56 million man is No. 55.

Kansas City Chief receiver Dwayne Bowe comes in as the 55th best offensive player in the NFL in ESPN.com’s top 100 offensive players project. Bowe, who just signed a five-year, $56 million contract to stay with the Chiefs, is a difference maker. He has piled up numbers while playing with less-than-stellar quarterbacks.

Being the top option of new quarterback Alex Smith in Andy Reid’s offense should only increase Bowe’s value. Next time we do this, I could see him rising higher on the list.

 

[MHSL82]

Bold predictions for Week 1 - NFL Videos

 

[MHSL82]

'NFL Fantasy Live': Breakout Player of the Year - NFL Videos

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Loving what I see so far from the team. Go Chiefs!

 

[da55bums]

wow, somehow I called that...just have a gut feeling about Smith wanting to prove SF made a mistake....and think he will do it all season long.

 

[55briggs]

The new coach is doing great,

 

[MHSL82]

The new coach is doing great,

I think Trestman is doing very well, too. My uncle is a Bears fan and likes what he's doing. Won't say he's the best coach because I don't know him well, but he's doing what he needs to do.